Endotracheal tube biofilm translocation in the lateral Trendelenburg position

Table 2 Pulmonary infections per study group

							*Pseudomonas Aeruginosa*		Gram-negative bacteria
Pig	Group	Hours of MV	*Fever (°C)**	*WBC (cells/mm3)**	Purulent secretions*	Clinical suspicion of VAP/VAT	Microbiologically confirmed VAP	Microbiologically confirmed VAT	Microbiologically confirmed VAP	Species	Microbiologically confirmed VAT
17	24 h	24	37.6	21400	No	No	No	No	No	–	No
20	24 h	24	40.2	23100	No	Yes	No	No	No	–	No
30	24 h	24	38.5	19700	No	Yes	No	No	No	–	No
50	24 h	24	37.4	39500	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	–	No
18	48 h	48	39.2	20500	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	–	No
27	48 h	48	38.3	28000	No	No	No	No	No	–	No
44	48 h	48	36.2	21700	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Bordetella bronchiseptica	Yes
51	48 h	48	37.6	18200	No	No	No	No	No	–	No
55	48 h	48	36.1	18300	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Bordetella bronchiseptica	Yes
34	48-ALI	48	36.0	16400	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Escherichia coli	Yes
37	48-ALI	48	NA	21600	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	–	No
40	48-ALI	48	38.9	29000	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	–	No
52	48-ALI	48	37.6	24900	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Escherichia coli	Yes
54	48-ALI	18	NA	24700	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Bordetella bronchiseptica	Yes
22	72 h	72	NA	18600	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Bordetella bronchiseptica	Yes
31	72 h	72	36.0	22000	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	–	No
48	72 h	72	37.0	22700	No	No	No	No	No	–	No
53	72 h	72	36.5	21700	No	No	No	No	No	–	No

Pulmonary infections were clinically suspected in the case of at least two of three of the following clinical features: body temperature >38.5°C or <36°C; white blood count >14,000/mm³ or <4,000/mm³ and purulent secretions. VAT was microbiologically confirmed when a bronchial mucosa culture was ≥3 log cfu/g. VAP was microbiologically confirmed according to a lung tissue quantitative bacterial culture ≥3 log cfu/g. Of note, only pulmonary lobes with apparent gross findings of pneumonia (edematous tissue; consolidated areas; mucopurulent material in the tracheobronchial tree; abscess) were sampled, whereas in group 48-ALI all lobes were sampled. *Only values upon autopsy are reported in the table, but statistical analysis included all values collected every 12 hours: P-values for differences among groups were 0.212 (Fever), 0.276 (WBC), 0.298 (Purulent secretions), 0.439 (Clinical suspicion of VAP/VAT), not significant (Microbiologically confirmed VAP) and 0.327 (Microbiologically confirmed VAT) for P. Aeruginosa, and not significant (Microbiologically confirmed VAP) and 0.423 (Microbiologically confirmed VAT) for Gram-negative bacteria. ALI, acute lung injury; MV, mechanical ventilation; VAP, ventilator-associated pneumonia; VAT, ventilator associated tracheobronchitis; WBC, white blood cell; 24 h, 24 hours; 48 h, 48 hours; 48 h-ALI, 48 hours with concomitant acute lung injury; 72 h, 72 hours.

ISSN: 1364-8535